New York-Area Ports Shut Down as Longshoremen Walk Off the Job

originally posted by: Leonidas
Fire them all. Lots of people without work would love these relatively high paying jobs.

You know I don't know what their gripe is, but I tend to steer away from this line of thought.
Workers need to be able to stand up for themselves without the fear of just being fired and replaced for doing so.

This fire and replace is just what the guys making all the money want us to think, so they can have the support to do it.

Truth be told, most people can't handle the work that longshoremen do. I know this because I did it for 33 yrs. and most newcomers never come back after their first day.

How many of you on this site have ever pitched 110 lb. bags, 14 hrs. a day, seven days a week, on production based pay with the standard par quota being 60 tons per hr. For ten men? I'm betting none.

How many of you have loaded 500 lb. bales of cotton, by hand in the hold of a ship, where it's 115 degrees in the shade? I'm betting none?

How many of you have the training and/or experience to safely operate all the various models of cranes & winches that are utilized on the worlds seafaring vessels? I'm betting none.

How many of you are trained to operate all types of heavy equipment, on and off the ship, including excavators, dozers, front-end loaders, forklifts, container handlers and shore cranes? I'm betting none.

How many of you have gone inside the oil tanks of a seagoing tanker to be repeatedly buried with grain while you shovel your way out, filling voids in the tank as you go? Much less for 14 hrs. a day in 115 degree heat. I'm guessing none.

How many of you have handled explosive ordinance in your line of work? How many have been escorted to a site well away from the ship to build a shipping crate with non-sparking tools for an unpackaged Patriot missile? I'm betting none.

How many of you are qualified to operate military hardware from Humvees to the M1A2 Abrams tanks? I'm betting none.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg! You people wouldn't begin to believe or understand the scope of work that longshoremen do.

It's unbelievably hard work and it's extremely dangerous. During my career, I saw several of my co-workers killed and numerous others maimed on the job. I've been there when the grain elevator exploded and killed numerous workers.

I assure you all, it's NOT a job that most people are capable of doing, much less willing to do.

I've "literally" seen men who were so muscle bound that they couldn't get their wallet out of their own back pocket, not last more than half a day before they quit.

But for anyone who's interested, all you have to do is show at the hiring hall to get your chance. That's how I got mine.

a reply to: xuenchen

According to the Baltic Dry Index nothing is coming into port anyway. Read an article a while back where oil tankers are turning around mid ocean and coming back to port. The economy is anemic to say the least but Market Watch keeps proclaiming it's just a correction. Bull sheat!

Apparently some people don't know what a union is.

A union is when workers unite and bargain as one with the company they work for. The employees vote for fellow workers to represent them to company. They bargain with the company for a contract that contains wages and benefits. If a company don't hold up their end of the contract the workers walk out and strike.

The company does the hiring and it usually takes 90 days before the worker is excepted into the union. The company can fire that person at any time before they make the union. Once in the union the company can't fire the person without cause. In a non union company your boss can fire you if he doesn't like your haircut. In a union company the worker is represented by the union. There are rules that management has to follow in order to fire someone.

This also depends on the union. Some unions aren't worth a squat and let the company walk all over them.

In the 1950's half of the country was unionized today it's less then 6%. Large corporations have found ways weaken unions.

I worked for a union company and have been through the entire unionization process with Ford Mo Co.

originally posted by: CharlesT
a reply to: xuenchen

According to the Baltic Dry Index nothing is coming into port anyway. Read an article a while back where oil tankers are turning around mid ocean and coming back to port. The economy is anemic to say the least but Market Watch keeps proclaiming it's just a correction. Bull sheat!

I could be wrong, but I don't think that N.Y. handles all that much oil.

The bulk of the cargo shipped in & out of N.Y. & N.J. is what's called dry cargo. The vast majority is containerized cargo, that and a lot of automobiles.

I doubt the oil glut is affecting them too much. That would be mainly ports like Houston or Corpus Christi where a large percentage of their overall cargo tonnage is derived from oil and refining.

Sometimes, when an issue arises mid-contract and management refuses to address it, workers take it upon themselves to force the issue to the table.

It would appear that's exactly what happened here.

a reply to: Flatfish

Yes, that is true, but, the Baltic Dry Index covers "ALL" oceanic trafficking of "ALL" goods transported via international oceanic transport of goods and services.

originally posted by: CharlesT
a reply to: Flatfish

Yes, that is true, but, the Baltic Dry Index covers "ALL" oceanic trafficking of "ALL" goods transported via international oceanic transport of goods and services.

True enough, the effects eventually trickle down throughout the economy.

a reply to: Flatfish

Yes they do!

a reply to: wantsome

Yea by sending most labour jobs over seas or firing / laying off new employees. A lot of large company's work on a hire and fire process now days, and it's usually in collaboration with the corrupt elected members of the union, who were voted in most likely by the more seniority members.

Hard work as a new employee rarely pays off anymore when a union is involved.

a reply to: ButsDuge


If the Baltic dry index is low, then they don't need so many longshoremen, and they shouldn't give a stuff if they were at work or not, so the time is right to try and casualise the Longshoremen like it used to be, and get them lining up in the morning if they want work. So its a great time to try it on. Their only problem is that longshoremen know where their bosses live.